JPH0122643Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to an endoscope apparatus equipped with an automatic exposure control mechanism for endoscopic photography.

Conventionally, electrical resistance has been used as a means to convert light into electrical signals and obtain the necessary output voltage, but when the resistance becomes larger than a certain value,
A voltage proportional to this resistance value cannot be obtained. In particular, as endoscopes become smaller in diameter and image guide fiber bundles become smaller, optical conductivity decreases, making it impossible to obtain the necessary output voltage with electrical resistance.

Therefore, some devices use an amplification amplifier to obtain the output voltage, but this requires a power source to operate the amplification amplifier. Moreover, in order to improve the accuracy of automatic exposure control, it is necessary to use batteries with good voltage characteristics, and mercury batteries, lithium batteries, etc. have traditionally been used. However, these mercury batteries and lithium batteries do not have a large capacity, and when used continuously, the battery wears out rapidly, requiring frequent battery replacement, which is uneconomical. Furthermore, the user may not realize that the battery is running low and may take a photo without the automatic exposure control mechanism working, resulting in a shooting error.

This idea was created in light of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to turn on the battery only when the endoscope connector is connected to the light source device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope device that can prolong battery life and be economical, and can also take photographs with appropriate exposure.

This invention will be explained below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the entire endoscope device, where 1 is an endoscope and 2 is a light source device. The endoscope 1 consists of an insertion section 3, an operation section 4, an eyepiece section 5, and a universal cord 6 connected to the operation section 4.
A connector 7, which will be described later, is provided at the tip of the universal cord 6.

Further, the light source device 2 is provided with a socket 9 and a power switch 10 for connection to the above-mentioned connector at the front of its main body 8.

Next, the connector 7 and socket 9 will be explained based on FIGS. 2 and 3. That is, 11 is a connector body formed in a cylindrical shape,
An insulating member 13 made of epoxy resin or the like is fixed to this tip opening 12 . A light guide tube 15 having a light guide fiber 14 therein is attached to the insulating member 13.
It protrudes forward from the front end surface of. The insulating member 13 on the side adjacent to the light guide tube 15 has two wires for automatic exposure control to electrically connect the amplifier and battery on the endoscope side and the automatic exposure mechanism on the light source side, which will be described later. Electric contact pins 16, 16 are provided protrudingly,
Furthermore, a support hole 17 is bored in the insulating member 13 adjacent to the electrical contact pins 16, 16. A switch operating rod 18 is inserted into this support hole 17 so as to be freely protrusive and retractable.
A flange 19 is provided in the middle of the tip 8 to restrict the protrusion length of the tip. Furthermore, a connector body 11 facing the distal end of the switch operating rod 18
A support plate 20 is attached inside, and this support plate 20
A through hole 21 is bored through the distal end of the switch operating rod 18. A switch operating rod 18 is provided between the flange 19 and the support plate 20.
A biasing spring 22 is provided that biases the insulating member 13 in the distal direction, that is, in the direction of protruding from the front end surface of the insulating member 13. Further, a micro switch 23 is attached to the rear of the support plate 20. This micro switch 23 is turned on when the switch operating rod 18 retreats and the movable piece 24 is pressed down at its end.
However, when the switch operating rod 18 moves forward and its end portion separates from the movable piece 24, it is turned OFF. Note that 25 is packing.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a socket main body, the front end of which is provided with a recessed portion 27 into which the front end of the connector main body 11 is inserted, and the inner peripheral surface of this socket is provided with a fitting groove 28 into which the packing 25 is fitted. It is being
Further, an opening 29 is provided at the bottom of the concave portion 27, and this opening 29 is closed with an insulating seat 30 made of epoxy resin or the like. This insulation seat 30
is provided with an insertion hole 31 into which the light guide tube 15 of the connector 7 is inserted, and pin sockets 32, 32 into which the electrical contact pins 16, 16 are inserted for electrical connection, and the tip of the switch operating rod 18 is insulated. It comes into contact with the front end surface of the seat 30.
Furthermore, a light source lamp 33 is disposed inside the light source device main body 8 facing the insertion hole 31, and a reflecting mirror 34 is provided.
The light is focused on the input end face of the light guide cylinder 15 by the above-described structure.

FIG. 4 shows an automatic exposure control circuit 35, which includes a light receiving element 3 that receives reflected light L from an irradiated surface 36 by an image guide fiber (not shown) and converts it into an electrical signal.
7. Consists of an amplifier 38 for amplifying the signal from the light receiving element 37 to a required output voltage, and a battery 39 such as a mercury battery or a lithium battery connected to the amplifier 38 via the micro switch 23. has been done. The light receiving element 37, the amplifier 38 and the battery 39 are provided on the endoscope side. The light-receiving element 37 converts the reflected light L into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted via an amplifier 38 to a conventionally well-known automatic exposure control system, which controls mechanical components such as a shutter and a shutter drive mechanism provided in the light source. It is adapted to be input to mechanism 40.

Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be explained. When the connector 7 of the endoscope 1 and the socket 9 of the light source device 2 are separated, the switch operating rod 18 of the connector 7 is moved forward by the restoring force of the biasing spring 22, as shown in FIG. , the tip thereof protrudes from the front end surface of the insulating member 13. Therefore, the end of the switch operating rod 18 is separated from the movable piece 24 of the microswitch 23, and the microswitch 23 is in the OFF state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the amplifier 38 and the battery 39 are electrically disconnected, and the battery 39 is not consumed even if the power switch 10 of the light source device 2 is turned on. .

When performing endoscopic photography from such a state, insert the connector main body 11 into the recess 27 of the socket main body 26, insert the light guide tube 15 into the insertion hole 31, and insert the electrical contact pins 16 into the pin socket 32. , 32, the tip of the switch operating rod 18 comes into contact with the front end surface of the insulating seat 30, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the switch operating rod 18
compresses the biasing spring 22 and sinks into the connector body 11, and its end presses down the movable piece 24 of the micro switch 23 to turn the micro switch 23 ON.
let When the micro switch 23 is turned on, a closed circuit is formed between the amplifier 38 and the battery 39, as shown in FIG. 4, and automatic exposure control becomes possible. Therefore, the light from the light source lamp 33 is guided to the irradiated surface 36 via the light guide fiber 14 in the light guide tube 15.
The reflected light L from 6 enters the light receiving element 37 via the image guide fiber. The light receiving element 37 converts the light into an electrical signal, which is amplified to a necessary output voltage by the amplification amplifier 38 and input to the automatic exposure control mechanism 40 . Therefore, photographs with proper exposure can always be obtained.

Also, after taking a photo, connect connector 7 to socket 9.
When the switch actuating rod 18 is pulled out from the microswitch 23, the switch actuating rod 18 moves forward due to the restoring force of the biasing spring 22, so that the tip protrudes from the front end surface of the insulating member 13 and the distal end separates from the movable piece 24 of the micro switch 23. Therefore, the micro switch 23 is turned off, and the amplifier 38 and the battery 39 are electrically disconnected. That is, the battery 39 is electrically connected to the amplifier 38 only when the connector 7 is connected to the socket 9 of the light source device 2.
Even if you forget to turn off the power switch 10 of the light source device 2, the battery 39 will not be consumed.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, a switch operating rod is provided on the connector so that it can be pushed out and retracted, and when the connector is inserted into the socket and connected, the micro switch is turned on by the switch operating rod that is retracted, and the connector is pulled out from the socket. At this time, the switch operating rod protrudes to turn the microswitch OFF, but the microswitch and the switch operating rod may be provided on the light source device side, or the push button may be directly turned ON and OFF.

As explained above, in an endoscope device that uses a battery as a power source for an amplifier for automatic exposure control, this device uses a battery only when the connector of the endoscope is connected to the light source device by the switching means.
Since it is turned on, when not in use, the battery and amplifier can be electrically disconnected by pulling out the connector from the light source device. Therefore, battery life can be significantly extended,
It is economical and has the effect of eliminating the problem of forgetting to turn on the switch.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing shows one embodiment of this invention.
2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the connector, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the connector connected to a light source device, and FIG. 4 is an electric circuit diagram. 1... Endoscope, 2... Light source device, 7... Connector, 9... Socket, 39... Battery, 38... Width amplifier.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An endoscope device consists of a light source device having a light source lamp, and an endoscope that is connected to the light source device via a connector and emits light from the tip of the insertion tube through a light guide. A photoelectric conversion member that converts into a signal, an amplifier that amplifies the output of the photoelectric conversion member, a switch that is closed while the endoscope is connected to the light source via the connector, and a switch that is closed when the switch is closed. an automatic exposure control mechanism provided in the light source, wherein a battery is provided on the endoscope side to supply power to the amplifier, and the output of the amplification amplifier is input through the connector to control appropriate exposure; An endoscope device comprising: